Dentistry Question regarding DAT?!
Question: Hi everyone. I'm currently a sophomore in college and will be transferring in Fall 2008 to a UC. I have longed to become a dentist ever since I was 5 years old, maybe even sooner. I have a lot of friends who want to become doctors and they keep talking about their MCATS. I know I have to take the DAT to get into a good dental school. My dream is to go to UCSF. I was wondering if any of you had some advice. I'm looking for things like when to sign up to take the DAT, how many times I should take it, what score is looked at as a really good score, and when I should take the DAT classes if there are any, I'm not really sure. Any advice/help regarding subject material on the DAT will help as well. Feel free to speak of any experiences you had with the DAT. Thanks in advance everyone!
Answers: Hi everyone. I'm currently a sophomore in college and will be transferring in Fall 2008 to a UC. I have longed to become a dentist ever since I was 5 years old, maybe even sooner. I have a lot of friends who want to become doctors and they keep talking about their MCATS. I know I have to take the DAT to get into a good dental school. My dream is to go to UCSF. I was wondering if any of you had some advice. I'm looking for things like when to sign up to take the DAT, how many times I should take it, what score is looked at as a really good score, and when I should take the DAT classes if there are any, I'm not really sure. Any advice/help regarding subject material on the DAT will help as well. Feel free to speak of any experiences you had with the DAT. Thanks in advance everyone!
OK so UCSF is REALLY hard to get into. So make sure you have a stellar GPA and DAT scores, and some sort of edge like working for a dentist and volunteering. Kaplan has a really good DAT prep course, but you ave to keep up with it and do what you are directed to do each day/night. They give you enough tools to do well if you study the books and flashcards they gave you constantly before the test. Take the DAT once and then apply to colleges. If you don't get in take the DATs again right before you apply again the next year.
The cool thing about the DATs is they are on the computer and you get your score right after you're finished, so you can take them any day you want (unlike the MCATs). So I would reccomend taking them in the summer of your junior year, and then apply to colleges next semester (fall of your senior year).